The prior art is already aware of light-reflective markers which are used for marking land and/or water, and a very well-known and common type is that which is used for marking roadways, such as driveways. Some of these markers are not capable of reflecting light from any approach to the marker, such as a 360-degree reflector. However, 360-degree roadway or the like markers are also known, and it is further known that these prior art markers can be inserted into the ground, such as by a ground-penetrating stake which supports a light-reflective material at the upper end thereof. U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,802,378, 3,933,117, 4,152,046, 4,157,210, 4,197,807, and 4,779,955 show light-reflective devices of the type mentioned heretofore.
The present invention improves upon the prior art by providing a light-reflective device which has a support or mounting stake which can be positioned upright, such as pounding into the ground, and a tubular member is placed over the upstanding upper end of the stake and is fastened thereto and presents a 360-degree reflective material on the upper end of that tubular member. In this arrangement, the stake and tubular member are fastened together in a simplified and easily and rapidly accomplished manner, and they are also attached together in an adjustable manner so that the tubular member can be placed at various elevations relative to the elevation of the stake itself.
Still further, the present invention provides for the light-reflective device wherein all of the parts thereof can be stored within a tubular member which is utilized as a packaging item for enclosing and retaining the stake and the attaching or clamp means and also for retaining the reflective material and caps on each end of the tubular member. That is, the complete collection of the several parts which constitute the installed device can all be stored within the tubular member, both for merchandise storing as well as user storing when the device is not in the installed or operative position.
Still further, the light-reflective marker of this invention includes a stake which can be hammered into the ground or the like, and in the event that the upper edge of the stake is distorted or enlarged, due to the force of hammering, the tubular member will still readily and easily slide over the upper end of the stake to be assembled with the stake and thereby stand upright above the elevation of the stake for presenting the reflective marker. Further, this telescopic relationship between the stake and the tubular member thereabove is such that the tubular member can be adjustably elevated relative to the stake and thereby present the reflective material at the upper end of the tubular member in any desired elevation, within the upstanding length of the stake itself.
Still further, the stake and the tubular member have a circular cross-section, and the connecting means therebetween is such that the tubular member can actually .rotate around the stake in the final assembled and attached position and thereby move relative to a vehicle or the like which may brush against the tubular member. Accordingly, the vehicle will not be scratched or marred, and further, the tubular member is readily made of a plastic material, rather than a metal, to avoid scratching the car which might brush against the marker when it is used as a driveway or roadway marker. That is, the tubular member will actually simply roll along the side of a vehicle moving tangentially thereto, but in contact therewith, and thus avoid damage to the side of the vehicle.
With knowledge of the aforementioned patents, and particularly with reference to U.S. Pat. No. 4,779,955, it will be seen that the prior art is not concerned about, nor is it disclosing an arrangement whereby a stake can be pounded into the ground, and possibly upset the upper end of the stake and then still have the tubular member slid down on the stake, contrary to the present invention. Also, the prior art does not have the tubular member rotatable relative to the stake, to thereby avoid marring a car which can brush against the tubular member, nor does the prior art disclose any arrangement for vertically adjusting the tubular member relative to the stake, as in this invention.
Additionally, the present invention provides a light-reflective marker which can be installed in a sleeve inset into a support, such as in the ground, and the marker can then be removed from the sleeve, as desired, such as during seasonal use of the marker such as for the winter snowtime.